BCS Rankings: Predicting Where Each Team Will Stand in Week 13 Poll

As if Alabama's unprecedented loss last week didn't shake up the BCS picture enough, the entire landscape of this year in college football was significantly shifted on Saturday.

We saw a 1-2 punch out that very few expected possible. No. 1 Kansas State was beaten down by Baylor, 52-24, and the No. 2 Oregon Ducks were gutted in overtime by the Stanford Cardinal, 17-14. The heavy favorites for the 2013 BCS National Championship Game are now all but out of the running.

The string of upset losses makes this week's BCS rankings the most unpredictable we've seen all season.

Let's take a look at where each team should fall in the upcoming Week 13 poll.

1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-0)

Last Week: No. 3

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were on the outside looking into the BCS title game picture heading into this week, but that all changed with a major shakeup on Saturday that will send the Irish to their first No. 1 ranking in BCS history.

Brian Kelly's squad was the only undefeated team to take care of business Saturday (save for ineligible Ohio State), beating Wake Forest 38-0. Maybe they didn't face a noteworthy foe compared to Oregon and K-State, but a win is a win.

The Irish now appear one win away from a shot at the national championship. USC stands in their way, but could be unranked after another loss this weekend.

The last time Notre Dame was No. 1, Mrs. Doubtfire was a couple days away from debuting in theatres.

Just one week after an unprecedented loss to Texas A&M that looked to ruin the Crimson Tide's shot at a third BCS title in four years, two of the three teams in front of them suffered major gaffes and Saban's squad is still in it.

3. Georgia Bulldogs (10-1)

Last Week: No. 5

Assuming Mark Richt's team beats an overmatched rival in Georgia Tech Saturday, the upcoming SEC Championship between the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide should be a play-in game for the national title yet again.

Who knows, if we see more chaos, it could end up being a prequel to the national title. Nothing would surprise me at this point.

4. Kansas State Wildcats (10-1)

Last Week: No. 1

Saturday was certainly heartbreaking for Wildcats fans. They flushed their national title hopes down the drain with a 52-24 beatdown at the hands of Baylor. And no, it wasn't Robert Griffin III behind center for the Bears.

Previously the Heisman favorite, quarterback Collin Klein may have played his way out of that competition, as well. The senior threw for three interceptions in the crushing loss.

5. Florida Gators (10-1)

Last Week: No. 5

The Gators have undoubtedly survived some ugly wins this season against non-conference foes, but their overall body of work puts them in an outside shot for the national championship.

Will Muschamp's team will barely scratch the top five this week, but they close out their regular season with a tough road test against No. 10 Florida State and a big-time win would help them inch closer to an unprecedented appearance in the BCS National Championship.

6. Oregon Ducks (10-1)

Last Week: No. 2

The unstoppable Oregon offense was breaking records before only putting up two touchdowns against Stanford on Saturday, but now, despair has sneaked into Eugene.

Their title hopes are all but crushed.

Many expected a late-season Ducks loss to be at the hands of an opponent like Oregon State or USC, but Stanford is top-class and can never be overlooked. They proved that much once again.

Still, a win over Alabama and a completely unheralded season gives the Aggies the nod over a LSU Tigers team who nearly lost a heartbreaker Saturday.

8. LSU Tigers (9-2)

Last Week: No. 7

The Tigers may not have been the biggest winners this weekend with a come-from-behind victory over the Ole Miss Rebels, of all teams, but head coach Les Miles takes the cake with his postgame press conference escapade.

LSU is a much better team than their record, or ranking, indicates, and there's no telling where this team would be with a better quarterback at the helm.

9. Florida State Seminoles (10-1)

Last Week: No. 10

Florida State dropped considerably after losing to N.C. State about a month ago, and has never picked up steam in the rankings since. Teams have been leaping them like Frogger.

Though, the Seminoles have torn up their competition in recent weeks and their continuous efforts allow them to refuse another two-loss SEC team to slide past them.

10. Stanford Cardinal (9-2)

Last Week: No. 13

The giant-killers of the 2012 season, Stanford will finally get some credit and slide into the top-10 with just a few weeks remaining.

The Pac-12 can thank Stanford for not having an appearance in the BCS National Championship, as they were the first to expose USC's weaknesses and ruined Oregon's road to Miami this past weekend.

Oh, if only they could've pulled out that overtime victory over Notre Dame.

11. South Carolina Gamecocks (9-2)

Last Week: No. 9

Steve Spurrier's crew was on major upset alert this weekend, heading into halftime tied at seven with Wofford. They ended up putting it together in the second half and won, 24-7.

Such a loss would've caused for a major plummet in the rankings, but the Gamecocks appear still alive for a BCS bowl despite falling a few spots in the rankings.

12. Clemson Tigers (10-1)

Last Week: No. 11

Clemson's lone blemish on the season is a September loss to Florida State, but they did the best job they could have to avenge that loss Saturday by taking down the ones responsible for the Seminoles lone loss, N.C. State.

The win sets up what could be one of the fiercest South Carolina-Clemson matchups we've ever seen.

It may not have the national title implications that many expected heading into the season, but there's still much on the line as both teams try to give bowl bidders something to think about.

13. Oklahoma Sooners (8-2)

Last Week: No. 12

Boomer Sooner has to be in contention as one of the best two-loss teams in the country. Their only blemishes come against two of the nation's best teams: Notre Dame and Kansas State.

Still, the Sooners struggled against a hapless West Virginia team, edging them 50-49 on Saturday.

Next weekend's showdown vs. Oklahoma State will help to separate the cream from the crop in the Big 12.

14. Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2)

Last Week: No. 14

Nebraska is doing all it can to keep the Big Ten relevant in the BCS rankings, but it's hard to do so with the unbeaten Ohio State Buckeyes not bowl eligible.

But barring an upset loss to Iowa in the season's final regular season game, expect the Cornhuskers to be representing the B1G in a BCS bowl.

15. UCLA Bruins (9-2)

Last Week: No. 17

Many were shocked that UCLA was indeed ranked higher than USC heading into their late-season affair, and both teams being ranked certainly make the always-thrilling contest even more relevant.

The Bruins kicked the Trojans to the curb, but unfortunately let them come back before putting in the dagger. Beating USC always bodes well in the BCS rankings, and this week will be no different.

16. Texas Longhorns (8-2)

Last Week: No. 15

The Texas Longhorns are the first team mentioned this week that wasn't in action this past weekend because they enjoyed a bye week. They'll need it as they turn around to face a TCU team who has given a lot of headaches in their first year in the Big 12.

On top of that, they close out the regular season the week after by playing Kansas State, who will certainly be looking to pick up as many style points as possible to keep their slim national title hopes alive.

17. Oregon State Beavers (8-2)

Last Week: No. 16

Their in-state rival wasn't able to light up the scoreboard the way they're accustomed to Saturday, so the Beavers took responsibility of that and hung up 62 points on Cal.

Giving Oregon their second-straight loss next weekend could catapult the Beavers toward an impressive bowl game at the end of the season.

18. Louisville Cardinals (9-1)

Last Week: No. 19

Louisville looked ready to roll to an undefeated record before dropping last week's game to Syracuse, but now would fall out of a BCS bowl if the season ended today.

Luckily for Charlie Strong's team, they still control their own destiny with a matchup two weeks from now against the Big East leader, Rutgers. The winner should represent the Big East in the BCS.

19. Michigan Wolverines (8-3)

Last Week: No. 21

The Wolverines might not jump as high in the other polls, but the computer voting should give Michigan the nod with many teams around them falling.

Denard Robinson's team hasn't had the season many expected them to have in the Big Ten, but they still appear able to finish out with a solid bowl game.

20. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-3)

Last Week: No. 24

The top-half of the Big 12 is absolutely scary, and Oklahoma State has only proven that this season. They knocked off their second-ranked foe of the season this weekend, beating Texas Tech 59-21 at home.

The Cowboys now head to Norman to face Oklahoma, and a win there would shoot Okie State up the conference standings.

21. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-1)

Last Week: No. 22

Yes, you read right in the Louisville summary, Rutgers is on top of the Big East.

They may not have faced a ranked team as of yet, but they're the class of the conference and will have their shot to prove it in the season's final game against Louisville. A win there, and the Scarlet Knights have earned their BCS berth.

22. Washington Huskies (7-4)

Last Week: No. 24

Few teams have been as up-and-down as the Huskies this season, but they've certainly been more 'up' as of late and are surging at the right time.

On the heels of their fourth-straight win, a 38-3 mockery of Colorado, Washington looks to be in prime position to go bowling. That hasn't been a foregone conclusion in recent seasons, so expect Huskies fans to enjoy it.

23. Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-3)

Last Week: Unranked

After dropping three straight games and falling from near the top-10 to out of the rankings, the Mississippi State Bulldogs needed a feel-good win over SEC opponent Arkansas.

That's just what they got in a 45-14 win.

Playing Alabama, Texas A&M and LSU in consecutive weeks either means you have terrible luck, or nobody making the schedules likes you. We'll go with the former.

24. USC Trojans (7-4)

Last Week: No. 18

Heading into the season, virtually nobody would've put money on the USC Trojans picking up four losses in their 2012 slate. Especially in the manner in which they've lost.

But a strong schedule and a video game offense barely keeps the Trojans in the rankings for another week. That won't do much to make up for the fact that they'll be far, far away from a BCS bowl come January.

25. Kent State Golden Flashes (10-1)

Last Week: Unranked

The Kent State Golden Flashes haven't appeared in the BCS rankings this season. That is, until now.

A Louisiana Tech loss this weekend and a few teams making their way out of the top 25 makes room for the Golden Flashes to enter the party.